A Joyful Journey Suzuki Association of Utah’s Celebration VIII

The sheer scope of the Suzuki Association of Utah’s Celebration concerts is difficult to imagine—two thousand Suzuki students playing together in one venue.

But then, one sees it: the LDS Conference Center stage overflows with student musicians. They more than fill the designated stage, and a third of the students spill into the auditorium seats. Violins are by far dominant in numbers; the harpists and pianists are so numerous, they’ve formed their own concerts.

And then, the sound. Celebration organizers often refer to it as a “wall,” and the description couldn’t be more accurate. Students are surrounded, enveloped by it. The sound of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy fills the Conference Center as students perform in unison, from Twinklers to advanced students. They’ve been preparing for this since first picking up an instrument—from the moment they started to learn the repertoire. The performance is formidable, a force. It’s a wall—an impressive, intricate, very beautiful wall.

The Suzuki Association of Utah held their triennial Celebration Concert over two days in October 2010. Celebration VIII, “A Joyful Journey,” consisted of three separate concerts, including a Ten Piano Concert, Harp Concert, and Gala Concert, which featured nearly two thousand students ages three to nineteen. The organization also had a piece commissioned for the concert.

Suzuki Association of Utah Celebration VIII

Image by Suzuki Assoc of Utah

The SAU is by far the largest chapter affiliate of SAA, with almost two thousand teacher and family members, and many more students. Their triennial Celebration is one of—if not the—largest displays of the Suzuki Method in the Americas at one time and place. The Celebration is held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Conference Center in Salt Lake City—the same venue where the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs. Celebrations have been held there since 2004, after the SAU outgrew other historical venues in Salt Lake City such as Abravanel Hall, Capitol Theater, the Salt Lake Tabernacle, the Capitol Rotunda, and the LDS Assembly Hall. “It’s just really an experience, it’s once in a lifetime for some of these kids,” said Coralyn Smith, Celebration VIII Co-chair. “It’s huge—the Tabernacle Choir sings in that venue, and all those choir seats are filled with violins.”

Preparations began at least two years in advance for Celebration organizers, who decided on the theme—“A Joyful Journey,” chosen to reflect the life-long benefits of growing in music—booked the guest artist and conductor, violinist, composer and registered Suzuki teacher Michael McLean, and prepared the $100,000 budget.

Suzuki Association of Utah Celebration VIII

Image by Suzuki Assoc of Utah

Celebration VIII began on Friday, October 15, with the Ten Piano Concert, which featured students of all levels performing repertoire. In addition, advanced students performed the Ten Piano premiere of Utah composer Jon Schmidt’s All of Me. Other pieces included Mozart’s Sonata in A, Camille Saint-Saens’s “The Swan,” and Musette in D Major. One hundred fifty students performed in front of nearly eight hundred audience members, eight to ten students at a time, for a total of twenty pieces.

Every Celebration has had some type of multi-piano concert, said Billie Tuttle, Ten Piano Chair, but only the past three Celebrations have had true ten piano concerts. This creates special logistical and amplification challenges. And, because of these challenges, the students had only two opportunities to rehearse playing in unison. Still, said Tuttle, it went beautifully. “I remember being astounded at how well it went,” she said. “They’re so thrilled to be in the conference center. They are just in awe that they can perform there.”

Suzuki Association of Utah Celebration VIII

Image by Suzuki Assoc of Utah

On Saturday, October 16, a Celebration of Harps was held in Abravanel Hall, the Utah Symphony Orchestra and Opera venue. One hundred fifty harpists (out of two hundred total Suzuki harp students in Utah) performed. “We don’t fit on the stage anymore” at the Gala concert, said Harp Chair Marilyn Dodson. All students participated, even if they didn’t perform—younger students dressed up and provided rhythmic choreography during pieces. The highlight, and student and crowd favorite, was the theme from Pirates of the Caribbean arranged for harp.

Sixty harps were set up on the stage, and students took turns performing—a large increase over the twenty harps that performed when Dodson first attended a Celebration as a six-year-old violin student. Another logistical challenge, Dodson said the harp concert went smoothly thanks to parent volunteers. “Everyone put forth effort into this concert to make it a success,” she said. “It’s frightening. It takes a lot of pre-planning. It takes a lot of parent volunteers to make it work smoothly.” In the end, said Dodson, “It was the most successful concert we’ve ever had, we’re looking forward to doing it again.”

Suzuki Association of Utah Celebration VIII

Image by Suzuki Assoc of Utah

The Celebration culminated in a Gala Concert on Saturday evening, during which students performed repertoire in instrument groups, including voice, cello, piano, viola, flute, guitar, bass, and violin, and joined together to perform Twinkle variations and theme and the grand finale piece, “A Joyful Journey,” composed for the SAU by McLean, during which some students flew aerial kites. “The kids were fabulous, the end product was stunning, visually and musically,” said RaNae Dalgleish, Celebration Chair. “I had a great assistant.”

Not only was it a rewarding experience for the teachers, but also for students and parents. “One parent said that her daughter told her that she ‘tears come into her eyes as she was up there witnessing all the production of the night,’” said Smith. “She felt that the music was just so beautiful and she overflowed with emotion.” Parent Julie Jordan said, “I was overwhelmed by the caliber of child that was there. Thousands of children, including my own beginner, had far exceeded their playing abilities and learned a hard but beautiful song. Then, not only that, but the children were so well-behaved for the two-hour rehearsal and two-hour concert. Not many children can sit that respectfully for so long. It was all impressive and beautiful. What a sound.”

There’s something about it that makes it all the richer because these are kids. Some are nearly adults, some are very, very young, but they all share an intensity and focus that’s apparent in their movements, in the way they pay strict attention to the conductor. The level of passion is precocious, and it seems rare in an age of instant gratification.

Suzuki Association of Utah Celebration VIII

Image by Suzuki Assoc of Utah

Now imagine all the intensities of these children collected into a relatively small group of adults. In addition to Dalgleish and Smith, chairs for nine instrument groups organized their respective instruments’ performances and rehearsals with the help of additional parent volunteers. “The technical aspects in coordinating all the different personalities—staying organized with all the details” was the most challenging part of organizing Celebration VIII, Dalgleish said. “The bass teachers are a little more laid-back, where the harpists are very detail-oriented. Coming together and making it all fabulous—that’s the goal—is really challenging.”

Volunteers on whom the Celebration depended included more than two hundred parent volunteers, working on public relations, fundraising, newsletters, the web site, registration, as well as committees for each instrument, a committee for the Ten Piano concert, and parent helpers during rehearsals and the concert.

In addition to regional rehearsals through August and September for most instruments, students rehearsed with their instrument group the Saturday before and again the day of the concert. They did a final run-through with all students the afternoon of the concert.

Throughout the process, students retained an amazing amount of discipline. Smith attributes this to a number of factors, including Suzuki training—starting the kids out young and learning discipline—and parents. “It’s also dedicated parents,” Smith said. “They’re willing to put in this kind of time with their kids and practice with them.”

Suzuki Association of Utah Celebration VIII

Image by Suzuki Assoc of Utah

Suzuki has a long history in Utah. The SAU was formed in 1977 and has seen a steady, if not explosive, growth since then. “In general, music is just a very important part of our culture and heritage in Utah,” said Dalgleish. “The pioneers brought music as a part of our values.” Suzuki philosophy particularly appeals to Utahans, both women agree, because of “the center on the family,” said Dalgleish. “We have symphonies here that are full of Suzuki students, and so it’s well known here,” said Smith. “People here really believe in developing their talents and sharing their talents,” she continued. “It’s very service-oriented here. Also, we think it’s important for the child’s development. That’s what Dr. Suzuki thought, too, that Talent Education is so important for children so they can be good citizens. And so I think because people here embrace service as an important part of life in your community, they’re attracted to Suzuki because of that. They see that he had that same vision, that kids will learn through music to be good people. And that’s what we want for our children here.”

During the Ten Piano Concert, a little boy smiled broadly, filled with pride, after performing Mary Had a Little Lamb. It’s hard to catch every smile, especially on the little ones. As the students grow older, the smiles give way to seriousness, the students paying strict attention and regarding the music with a sense of responsibility. Watching the Celebration, it’s hard not to be amazed, hard not to understand what a wonderful thing this is for the children.

Libby Felts is publications editor for the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She holds a master of fine arts in creative writing with an emphasis in nonfiction from the University of Wyoming and an interdisciplinary bachelor of arts with concentrations in creative writing, women’s and gender studies, and environmental advocacy from the University of Missouri. When not engaging in arts advocacy, she can be found mountain biking the foothills of Colorado’s Front Range.